diff --git a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/net/scribblings/http-client.scrbl b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/net/scribblings/http-client.scrbl
index 6eaafd2d73..533042c685 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/net/scribblings/http-client.scrbl
+++ b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/net/scribblings/http-client.scrbl
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ Closes the output side of @racket[hc], if it is live.
                           [#:version version (or/c bytes? string?) #"1.1"]
                           [#:method method (or/c bytes? string? symbol?) #"GET"]
                           [#:headers headers (listof (or/c bytes? string?)) empty]
+                          [#:content-decode decodes (listof symbol?) '(gzip)]
                           [#:data data (or/c false/c bytes? string?) #f])
          void?]{
 
@@ -80,16 +81,22 @@ HTTP version @racket[version] the method @racket[method] and the
 additional headers given in @racket[headers] and the additional data
 @racket[data].
 
+If @racket[headers] does not contain an @litchar{Accept-Encoding}
+header, then a header indicating that encodings from @racket[decodes]
+are accepted is automatically added.
+
 This function does not support requests that expect
 @litchar{100 (Continue)} responses.
 
 }
 
 @defproc[(http-conn-recv! [hc http-conn-live?]
+                          [#:content-decode decodes (listof symbol?) '(gzip)]
                           [#:close? close? boolean? #f])
          (values bytes? (listof bytes?) input-port?)]{
 
-Parses an HTTP response from @racket[hc].
+Parses an HTTP response from @racket[hc], while decoding the encodings
+listed in @racket[decodes].
 
 Returns the status line, a list of headers, and an port which contains
 the contents of the response.
@@ -106,6 +113,7 @@ to do so.
                               [#:method method (or/c bytes? string? symbol?) #"GET"]
                               [#:headers headers (listof (or/c bytes? string?)) empty]
                               [#:data data (or/c false/c bytes? string?) #f]
+                              [#:content-decode decodes (listof symbol?) '(gzip)]
                               [#:close? close? boolean? #f])
          (values bytes? (listof bytes?) input-port?)]{
 
@@ -119,7 +127,8 @@ Calls @racket[http-conn-send!] and @racket[http-conn-recv!] in sequence.
                         [#:version version (or/c bytes? string?) #"1.1"]                          
                         [#:method method (or/c bytes? string? symbol?) #"GET"]
                         [#:headers headers (listof (or/c bytes? string?)) empty]
-                        [#:data data (or/c false/c bytes? string?) #f])
+                        [#:data data (or/c false/c bytes? string?) #f]
+                        [#:content-decode decodes (listof symbol?) '(gzip)])
          (values bytes? (listof bytes?) input-port?)]{
 
 Calls @racket[http-conn-send!] and @racket[http-conn-recv!] in
diff --git a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/net/scribblings/url.scrbl b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/net/scribblings/url.scrbl
index f6346d4b83..0a9749d8c7 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/net/scribblings/url.scrbl
+++ b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/net/scribblings/url.scrbl
@@ -433,7 +433,8 @@ mapping is the empty list (i.e., no proxies).}
 @defproc[(http-sendrecv/url [u url?]
                             [#:method method (or/c bytes? string? symbol?) #"GET"]
                             [#:headers headers (listof (or/c bytes? string?)) empty]
-                            [#:data data (or/c false/c bytes? string?) #f])
+                            [#:data data (or/c false/c bytes? string?) #f]
+                            [#:content-decode decodes (listof symbol?) '(gzip)])
          (values bytes? (listof bytes?) input-port?)]{
 
 Calls @racket[http-sendrecv] using @racket[u] to populate the host, URI, port, and SSL parameters.
diff --git a/racket/collects/net/http-client.rkt b/racket/collects/net/http-client.rkt
index 997fbdebd5..94dfb15031 100644
--- a/racket/collects/net/http-client.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/net/http-client.rkt
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@
                          #:version [version-bs #"1.1"]
                          #:method [method-bss #"GET"]
                          #:headers [headers-bs empty]
+                         #:content-decode [decodes '(gzip)]
                          ;; xxx maybe support other kinds of data (ports and writing functions)
                          #:data [data-bsf #f])
   (match-define (http-conn host port port-usual? to from _) hc)
@@ -94,7 +95,8 @@
              (if port-usual?
                host
                (format "~a:~a" host port))))
-  (unless (regexp-member #rx"^(?i:Accept-Encoding:) +.+$" headers-bs)
+  (unless (or (not (memq 'gzip decodes))
+              (regexp-member #rx"^(?i:Accept-Encoding:) +.+$" headers-bs))
     (fprintf to "Accept-Encoding: gzip\r\n"))
   (define data
     (if (string? data-bsf)
@@ -180,6 +182,7 @@
   hc)
 
 (define (http-conn-recv! hc
+                         #:content-decode [decodes '(gzip)]
                          #:close? [iclose? #f])
   (define status (http-conn-status! hc))
   (define headers (http-conn-headers! hc))
@@ -206,7 +209,7 @@
        (http-conn-response-port/rest! hc)]))
   (define decoded-response-port
     (cond
-      [(regexp-member #rx#"^(?i:Content-Encoding: +gzip)$" headers)
+      [(and (memq 'gzip decodes) (regexp-member #rx#"^(?i:Content-Encoding: +gzip)$" headers))
        (define-values (in out) (make-pipe PIPE-SIZE))
        (thread
         (λ ()
@@ -222,13 +225,17 @@
                              #:method [method-bss #"GET"]
                              #:headers [headers-bs empty]
                              #:data [data-bsf #f]
+                             #:content-decode [decodes '(gzip)]
                              #:close? [close? #f])
   (http-conn-send! hc url-bs
                    #:version version-bs
                    #:method method-bss
                    #:headers headers-bs
+                   #:content-decode decodes
                    #:data data-bsf)
-  (http-conn-recv! hc #:close? close?))
+  (http-conn-recv! hc 
+                   #:content-decode decodes
+                   #:close? close?))
 
 (define (http-sendrecv host-bs url-bs
                        #:ssl? [ssl? #f]
@@ -236,13 +243,15 @@
                        #:version [version-bs #"1.1"]
                        #:method [method-bss #"GET"]
                        #:headers [headers-bs empty]
-                       #:data [data-bsf #f])
+                       #:data [data-bsf #f]
+                       #:content-decode [decodes '(gzip)])
   (define hc (http-conn-open host-bs #:ssl? ssl? #:port port))
   (http-conn-sendrecv! hc url-bs
                        #:version version-bs
                        #:method method-bss
                        #:headers headers-bs
                        #:data data-bsf
+                       #:content-decode decodes
                        #:close? #t))
 
 (provide
@@ -271,6 +280,7 @@
     (#:version (or/c bytes? string?)
                #:method (or/c bytes? string? symbol?)
                #:headers (listof (or/c bytes? string?))
+               #:content-decode (listof symbol?)                           
                #:data (or/c false/c bytes? string?))
     void)]
   ;; Derived
@@ -281,7 +291,8 @@
         http-conn?)]
   [http-conn-recv!
    (->* (http-conn-live?)
-        (#:close? boolean?)
+        (#:content-decode (listof symbol?) 
+                          #:close? boolean?)
         (values bytes? (listof bytes?) input-port?))]
   [http-conn-sendrecv!
    (->* (http-conn-live? (or/c bytes? string?))
@@ -289,6 +300,7 @@
                    #:method (or/c bytes? string? symbol?)
                    #:headers (listof (or/c bytes? string?))
                    #:data (or/c false/c bytes? string?)
+                   #:content-decode (listof symbol?) 
                    #:close? boolean?)
         (values bytes? (listof bytes?) input-port?))]
   [http-sendrecv
@@ -298,5 +310,6 @@
                 #:version (or/c bytes? string?)
                 #:method (or/c bytes? string? symbol?)
                 #:headers (listof (or/c bytes? string?))
-                #:data (or/c false/c bytes? string?))
+                #:data (or/c false/c bytes? string?)
+                #:content-decode (listof symbol?))
         (values bytes? (listof bytes?) input-port?))]))
diff --git a/racket/collects/net/url.rkt b/racket/collects/net/url.rkt
index 27ad0958b6..5122435ef3 100644
--- a/racket/collects/net/url.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/net/url.rkt
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@
   (hc:http-conn-send! hc access-string
                       #:method (if get? "GET" "POST")
                       #:headers strings
+                      #:content-decode '()
                       #:data post-data)
   hc)
 
@@ -204,7 +205,7 @@
 (define (http-conn-impure-port hc)
   (define-values (in out) (make-pipe 4096))
   (define-values (status headers response-port)
-    (hc:http-conn-recv! hc #:close? #t))
+    (hc:http-conn-recv! hc #:close? #t #:content-decode '()))
   (fprintf out "~a\r\n" status)
   (for ([h (in-list headers)])
     (fprintf out "~a\r\n" h))
@@ -239,6 +240,7 @@
                  (http://getpost-impure-port
                   get? url post-data strings
                   make-ports #f)
+                  #:content-decode '()
                  #:close? #t))
               response-port]
              [else
@@ -270,7 +272,7 @@
                                     make-ports)
                                   (and conn #t)))
     (define-values (status headers response-port)
-      (hc:http-conn-recv! hc #:close? (not conn)))
+      (hc:http-conn-recv! hc #:close? (not conn) #:content-decode '()))
 
     (define new-url
       (ormap (λ (h)
@@ -662,6 +664,7 @@
     (hc:http-conn-send! hc access-string
                         #:method method
                         #:headers strings
+                        #:content-decode '()
                         #:data data)
     (http-conn-impure-port hc)))
 
@@ -730,7 +733,8 @@
 (define (http-sendrecv/url u
                            #:method [method-bss #"GET"]
                            #:headers [headers-bs empty]
-                           #:data [data-bsf #f])
+                           #:data [data-bsf #f]
+                           #:content-decode [decodes '(gzip)])
   (unless (member (url-scheme u) '(#f "http" "https"))
     (error 'http-sendrecv/url "URL scheme ~e not supported" (url-scheme u)))
   (define ssl?
@@ -757,7 +761,8 @@
    #:port port
    #:method method-bss
    #:headers headers-bs
-   #:data data-bsf))
+   #:data data-bsf
+   #:content-decode decodes))
 
 (provide
  (contract-out
@@ -765,5 +770,6 @@
    (->* (url?)
         (#:method (or/c bytes? string? symbol?)
                   #:headers (listof (or/c bytes? string?))
-                  #:data (or/c false/c bytes? string?))
+                  #:data (or/c false/c bytes? string?)
+                  #:content-decode (listof symbol?))
         (values bytes? (listof bytes?) input-port?))]))